Passage 4.17.6
Λακεδαιμονίοις μὲν τὸ ἐς Μεσσηνίους σόφισμα ὁ δαίμων ἔμελλεν αὐτοῖς ἀποφανεῖν συμφοράν· Ἀριστοκράτης δὲ ὡς τὰ χρήματα ἐδέξατο ἐκ Λακεδαίμονος, τὸ μὲν παραυτίκα ἔκρυπτεν ἐς τοὺς Ἀρκάδας οἷα ἐπεβούλευε, μελλόντων δὲ ἐς χεῖρας ἤδη συνέρχεσθαι, τηνικαῦτα ἐξεφόβησεν αὐτοὺς ὡς ἐν δυσχωρίᾳ τέ εἰσιν ἀπειλημμένοι καὶ ἀναχώρησις οὐκ ἔσται αὐτοῖς, ἢν κρατηθῶσιν, τά τε ἱερά σφισιν οὐκ ἔφη γεγονέναι κατὰ γνώμην. ἐκέλευεν οὖν πάντα τινά, ἐπειδὰν αὐτὸς σημήνῃ, φυγῇ χρῆσθαι.
But for the Lacedaemonians, this stratagem against the Messenians the divinity was already preparing to turn into a disaster. Aristocrates, after receiving money from Sparta, for the moment kept secret from the Arcadians the treachery he planned against them. But when the battle was about to begin, he suddenly alarmed them, saying that they were caught in a difficult position, that retreat would be impossible if they were defeated, and claiming also that the sacrifices had not proved favorable for them. Thus, he commanded that when he himself should give the signal, everyone should immediately take to flight.